“Energy” by Beyoncé (ft. BEAM)
This song (“Energy”) isn’t the easiest to derive a thesis sentiment from, even as far as a Beyoncé outing goes. But first of all, it should be noted that this is a dance track. Owing to this, the “energy” the vocalist appears to be speaking to, all lyrics considered, is something like that generated on the party scene.
In other words, this piece is primarily situated in a setting like a nightclub or similarly exciting public venue.
Trying to interpret what’s being put forth line-for-line would prove to be an arduous, if not impossible task, ultimately “Energy”. However, the feeling behind the lyrics is akin to, say, a song Madonna would drop.
That is to say that this is another piece where partying, or let’s say the communal spirit derived thereof, is presented as a form of stress relief. And since the setting would seemingly be something akin to a nightclub or other such event, of course Beyoncé uses the opportunity to allude to the notion of being the most-attractive lady in the venue, or what have you.
So let’s conclude by saying that, all things considered, this isn’t a song that is particularly meant to be made sense of out, even if it does possess certain political innuendos. Or maybe, with the lyrics also possessing plenty of references to firearms, there is some type of hidden meaning behind it all. But more likely, said references are just for stylistic effect. And what Beyoncé is really speaking to is the “good energy” shared with friends and admirers, or something like that.
Controversy
The day prior to the official release of this song, reports (which, to some extent, were factually inaccurate) emerged that Kelis, a semi-popular R&B singer, was upset due to Beyoncé basically jacking one of her tracks.
Said jacking was said to occur on “Renaissance”, the album “Energy” is derived from. And the following day it was noted that Kelis – or at least some of her fans – also pointed out that the cover art to “Renaissance” had striking similarities to that of Kelis’s “Wanderland” (2001) (or, it would appear, one of the latter’s promotional covers).
By the time all the dust had settled, what actually proved to be the case, as far as the song goes, is that Beyoncé interpolated Kelis’ “Milkshake” onto “Energy”. “Milkshake” is a track Kelis dropped in 2003.
To note, “Milkshake” is in fact Kelis’s signature song, albeit one she did not have any hand in writing. In any event Beyoncé and co. still opted to officially remove said interpolation from “Energy”. This was in response to the beef Kelis and her people had stirred up. And that appears to be the case as of this writing, a couple of days after the official release of the song. Despite this, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, who wrote “Milkshake”, remain amongst the credited writers of “Energy”.
Credits for “Energy”
Other writers of this song include The-Dream and BlaqNmildD.
Big Freedia is also a credited co-writer, as “Energy” samples her 2014 tune “Explode”.
Teena Marie alongside Allen McGrier are likewise acknowledged, in that Teena’s 1988 classic “Ooo La La La” is interpolated into this piece.
Meanwhile, the musicians who are credited as both writers and producers of “Energy” are as follows:
- Beyoncé
- Beam
- Al Cres
- Skrillex
- Nova Wav (Blu June & Brittany Coney)
When was “Energy” officially released?
This track alongside its album (“Renaissance”) was released on 29 July 2022. The entire album was backed by Columbia Records in association with Parkwood.
Other popular tracks from “Renaissance” include the below:
Who is BEAM?
Beam is a largely unknown (up until this point) rapper from Florida (by way of Jamaica). In addition to serving as a producer and writer, he is also the officially featured vocalist on “Energy”. Big Freedia is also credited as an additional vocalist.
And as an interesting side note this is the only track on “Renaissance”, besides for “Move”, in which another artist besides Beyoncé is given official billing.
